​Couch Mite, Couch Mite Not

“Do you have any Couch?”

No, we have made the choice not to grow it.

Couch (Cynodon datylon) and hybrid couch varieties are a fine leaf, durable grass. It is a warm season grass that has both stolons (above ground runners) and rhizomes (underground runners).

Couch is mostly considered as cheap budget option and is frequently used in situations where the installer doesn’t care about the long-term outcome only that it gets them out of an immediate jam.

Couch is also considered easy to grow. Of course, it doesn’t help that Couch is used as a sports grass that can look top notch. What can be overlooked though is that behind those beautiful fields are teams of qualified staff giving the turf exactly what it needs when it needs it and often with a large operating budget. When used in these situations, it is likely that the Couch:

• is mowed every day or nearly every other day
• is aerated 
• receives the appropriate treatment for weed management
• has a fertiliser program
• gets precise amounts of water at the right time
• is laid on the proper turf underlay base, etc

From our experience, in a typical residential situation, Couch:

• can appear poor without regular fertilising and water
• requires lots of sunshine and is not considered shade tolerant at all
• requires very frequent mowing
• can be prone to scalping if cut too short in one mow
• is resistant to many herbicides, which helps to keep the weeds out, but can make it invasive if not properly confined to lawn areas

It is also susceptible to Couch Mites. Couch Mites are tiny pests that feed on new growth and are visible only through a magnifying hand lens or microscope. Couch Mites are believed to be a native species and is now widely distributed across Australia. Despite having a short life cycle, they can take hold quickly and cause damage.

Symptoms of Couch Mites include:

• stunted growth
• leaves turn light green / yellow
• leaves curl abnormally
• damaged stems do not grow new shoots
• looks tufted with clumping patterns appearing across the lawn
• thin / bare patches appear in infested areas that will continue to expand if not treated

 
Couch mites are likely to be more severe during hot, dry conditions (the Welcome mat to Townsville is rolled out for at least 9 months of the year). They can be spread by lawn clippings, wind, equipment, shoes or on the back of other little critters. An outbreak may be controlled by spotting the damage early and prompt invention. However, left untreated Couch Mites can quickly overrun an area and research shows that they then can be very difficult to get rid of completely and that Couch can take a long time to recover from infestation.